The effects of single and multiple pathogen and parasite infections on juvenile Chinook and coho salmon during early marine residency

• Main Author: Sandell, Todd A
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2011
• Subjects: Aquatic sciences; Microbiology
• ISBN: 9781124265636; 1124265635

Nearly 3000 juvenile Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) and coho (O. kisutch) salmon captured in nearshore waters off the coasts of Washington and Oregon from 1999-2004 were tested for infection by Renibacterium salmoninarum, Nanophyetus salmincola, and skin metacercariae. First, three quantitative PCR primer/probe sets were compared for detection of R. salmoninarum; amplification of the single copy abc gene was best at detecting medium-high levels of infection and was used in subsequent studies. Parasite infections were detected visually. Infection by N. salmincola was the most common single infection among all juvenile salmon (55.2%), followed by R. salmoninarum (27.5%) and skin metacercariae (16.5%). Infection by R. salmoninarum was highest in 2000, with 54.8% of all juvenile salmon infected, and was much lower in 2004 (<10%). Subyearling (but not yearling) Chinook salmon infected by N. salmincola had significantly reduced growth; skin metacercarial infection was associated with significantly reduced growth only for coho salmon. Infection by R. salmoninarum was associated with significantly reduced growth in yearling Chinook salmon and coho salmon. Multiple infections did not have significantly more severe effects on growth than single infections, although the prevalence of triple infections was very low. The prevalence of R. salmoninarum was significantly and positively correlated with increased survival for both yearling Chinook and coho salmon. To better understand the apparent paradox that higher prevalences correlate with increased survival, we examined the effects of ocean conditions using the summer Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index as an indicator of good (cold) or bad (warm) ocean condition years. The years 1999-2002 were cold ocean years, and 2003-2004 were warm ocean years. The prevalence of R. salmoninarum was significantly higher in cold years, when ocean conditions were favorable, and more salmon with severe infections were captured; there was no effect of infection on growth. In the summers of warm years, infected yearling Chinook and coho salmon had significantly reduced growth, and the prevalence and severity of R. salmoninarum infections declined. These data indicate that the infection is less detrimental in years with favorable ocean conditions, and suggest that R. salmoninarum infection may be a mechanism linking ocean indices to salmon survival.